The present invention relates to method for exchanging packages on a textile machine and a package holder used therefor, and more particularly relates to improvements in exchange of empty and full packages such as bobbins and pans on a textile machine such as a winder and a warp sizing machines.
Packages are mounted to pegs arranged in a substantially horizontal state on a creel of a textile machine and, when the packages on the creel become empty during operation of the textile machine, empty packages are exchanged with full packages by assistance of a creel loader which holds the full packages in a substantially horizontal state.
In general, packages are mounted to a package stocker with its tube in a vertical position. At transfer of packages from the package stocker to a creel loader, it is highly difficult to hold the packages in a horizontal state without any contact with yarns on the packages because of the large weight of the packages. For this operational reason, the packages are once transferred provisionally to a package supporter from the package stocker in a hanging state and placed vertically thereon prior to mounting to the package loader.
The package supporter is provided with a package support frame which contained a number of pegs secured on its one face in a vertical arrangement. For provisional placement of the packages, the support frame is rotated about a horizontal axis into a horizontal position. Next, the support frame is rotates about the horizontal axis into a vertical position so as to hold the packages in a horizontal state. In this horizontal state, the packages are transferred from the package supporter to the creel loader for transportation to the creel. In this case a number of packages are concurrently transferred together.
More specifically, a creel loader comes to one section of a creel to receive empty packages mounted thereon and travels to the position of a package supporter. Upon arrival at the position, the creel loader transfers the empty packages to pegs on the package supporter and, thereafter, the creel loader travels to another section of the creel where empty packages are mounted. Concurrently with this process, the package supporter rotates about its horizontal axis for dismounting of the empty packages.
After complete dismounting of the empty packages, the package supporter again rotates in the opposite direction about its horizontal axis so as to be ready for next reception of empty packages from the creel loader. During this process, the creel loader receives empty packages from the creel.
When all of the empty packages have been dismounted from the creel via repetition of the above-described operations, the creel loader sequentially transports to the creel full packages provisionally placed on the package supporter from the package stocker.
Transportation of the full packages is carried out in the following sequence. First full packages are provisionally places on pegs on the package supporter support frame in a substantially horizontal position. By 90 degrees rotation the package support frame assumes a vertical position with the packages in a horizontal state. In this state, the creel loader receives the full packages from the package supporter standing-by and travels to one section of the package where the full packages should be mounted. After mounting the full packages to pegs on the creel, the package loader in an empty state travels back to the position of the package supporter. Note that no packages are carried by the creel loader during this cycle of travel. Transfer of full packages is completed by repetition of the above-described operations.
From the foregoing, it is clear that, during one reciprocation of the package loader between the creel and the package supporter, the creel loader travels half of the reciprocation without transportation of any packages, i.e. in an empty condition.
At transfer of packages between the creel loader and the creel as well as between the creel loader and the package supporter, the packages are transferred between pegs on one side and package holders on the other side.
Packages are in general classified into two major groups, i.e. bobbins and pans which are different in size of tube for winding of yarns. That is, a bobbin requires a tube of a thick construction and a pan requires a tube of a thin construction. So, a package holder suited in dimension for the bobbin tube does not fit the pan tube whereas a package holder suited in dimension for the the pan tube does not fit the bobbin tube.
In an attempt to make up for this gap, it is conventionally employed in practice to support a thick tube from inside with one to two package holders and, for a thin tube, a separate package holder is provided to hold the same from outside. When this expedient is employed, every shift in type of tubes on creel side necessitates corresponding shift in package holders on the creel loader side. This inconvenience similarly occurs between the creel loader and the package supporter. Such frequent shifts in part specification results in great loss in labour and time, thereby seriously lowering production efficiency.